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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28649505">Dancing on Rooftops (and other Batfamily things)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rafamarkos5998/pseuds/rafamarkos5998'>rafamarkos5998</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Son of Shiva [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Billy Wilder, Black and white movies, Cassandra Cain Deserves Happiness, Cassandra Cain and Jason Todd are Siblings, Cassandra Cain is Not Black Bat, Cassandra Cain is Orphan, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, Feelings, Getting Together, Haha I made a pun haha, How is that not a tag, Hurt Cassandra Cain, Hurt Jason Todd, Hurt Tim Drake, I promise the story is better than that, Inspired by Some Like It Hot, Jason Todd Deserves Happiness, Jason Todd is Ghost, Jason Todd is Not Red Hood, Love, Metaphors, Minor reference to The Passion of Joan of Arc, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Please don't leave, Sandra Woosan is Jason Todd's Parent, Silent cinema, Steph one to Cass trusting people again, Tim Drake Deserves Better, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, actions are not, and rise like jason does here, and they're trying to do right by each other, but it's rarely in the sense depicted here, feelings are always valid, loosely, much better than what he got from Jason, no beta we die like robins, nobody wanted it but you got it anyway, that's more of a thematic thing than a plot thing, very dialogue heavy, well maybe because she usually does get it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:40:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28649505</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rafamarkos5998/pseuds/rafamarkos5998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason and Cass talk to the people they love and care about. It's overly dramatic every single time - what else did you expect again?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Batfamily Members &amp; Cassandra Cain, Batfamily Members &amp; Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain &amp; Jason Todd, Jason Todd &amp; Bruce Wayne, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake &amp; Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Son of Shiva [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>183</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Forgiveness and Acceptance are two different things (and you're doing neither)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've had one chapter from this part of the story down for a while, and the struggle has been to construct the rest of it around the piece that already existed. I hope it turns out fine.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jason and Tim discuss their shared history on a Gotham rooftop.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wanted to write dialogue stuff, so I wrote dialogue stuff. In retrospect, I don't think it was a good idea. Still, I hope you enjoy it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jason stands on the rooftop in the freezing January night, letting the taste of the gum soak into his oesophagus.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck, why does quitting have to be so hard?</em>
</p><p>He desperately wants to pull out the cigarette in the half-empty pack he's carrying in his left pocket, but he grips the balcony tighter to prevent himself from giving in. He can't afford to slip up now.</p><p>Roy has been... insistent that he put some real effort into staying clean. The older archer had pushed him to consult a doctor, made sure he got a prescription for the best nicotine gum for his body, gone to the pharmacy to pick up refills, and had even relented enough to allow him to carry cigarettes if things ever got too overwhelming. They're of the low-nicotine variety, which probably negated the whole point of the cigarettes, but hey - now Jason can comfortably engage in his bad habits if needed with minimal harm to his body, and how can that be a bad thing?</p><p>Not that harming his body even means anything, given that he is, you know, <em>immortal</em>.</p><p>In fact, Jason is almost certain that he had been given this dubious gift so that the people around him could make jokes about not using it as an excuse for his bad habits. All the advantages of not dying have pretty much been negated by Roy and Talia's renewed efforts to get him to stop drinking and smoking, now that he no longer has the excuse of not having the time to try.</p><p>Jason remembers how Roy used to go to bars and sit around people drinking every variety of alcohol under the sun, to test himself. How he would order a rum and coke and leave it on the table before himself, as some sort of strange challenge.</p><p>He never understood it then, but he does now. He can feel the itch, and the pride at having resisted it for so long.</p><p>Well, at least he can chew the gum to blandness as he waits here.</p><p>Tim tends to be quite punctual, even in his vigilante appointments. He even manages his daily patrol interventions to ensure that he doesn't miss any appointments.</p><p>It would have been funny if it wasn't so tragic.</p><p>And right on cue, Jason notices a red and black blur on a rooftop far off to the east, that quickly morphs into the flying form of Red Robin.</p><p>Jason pops open his faceplate and thumbs through the cigarettes in his pocket as he wonders if he can keep this conversation on course.</p><p>Tim begins talking as soon as he lands on the roof Jason's currently on.</p><p>"Hello there, Ghost."</p><p>"You were listening, huh?"</p><p>"Yes, I was. And I had to go over the recording a couple of times afterwards for Bruce's benefit."</p><p>"There was a recording?"</p><p>"Yep, the Joker was filming the worst possible found-footage pseudo-documentary I have ever seen."</p><p>Jason thought about it for a second before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I guess there was enough deception and subterfuge involved in the whole thing to make it a mockumentary."</p><p>"There was."</p><p>A silence descends on them, as the elephant in the metaphorical room swells up and consumes all the other avenues of conversation.</p><p>"I don't know what to feel about it."</p><p>Jason hopes that his raised eyebrow is close enough to Alfred's own and that the suit adds to the disapproval.</p><p>"I can't deny that I sleep easier, knowing that he's dead. That there won't be another breakout that ends in some stupid gambit for Batman's attention with thousands of people dead as collateral."</p><p>"But?"</p><p>"Who are we to decide whether he should live or die?"</p><p>"Normal, sane people with a functioning moral compass and an appreciation of the cost of leaving him alive."</p><p>"We don't know if he could have been saved."</p><p>"Do we need to?"</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"Why does the possibility of the Joker's redemption matter? What about preventing all the harm he could do if allowed to roam free?"</p><p>Tim doesn't respond to that one, so Jason keeps going.</p><p>"Bruce keeps talking about wanting to give people the benefit of the doubt - but if that's where we want to go, then why does he go out as Batman? He's a multi-trillionaire who also happens to have more political influence here than any other man with a ridiculous fortune due to his insistence on staying in and working for this city, he could have implemented a better justice system if he wanted."</p><p>"That's because he doesn't get to decide the right way to deliver justice to everyone in the city."</p><p>"But you see, that's exactly what he thinks - that's the point of Batman. Not just Gotham, but everyone that exists is dependent on Bruce's view of justice - because the world has somehow wrapped itself around him and his wants, needs and flights of fancy."</p><p>Tim seems to be considering Jason's points, which encourages the ex-Bat to proceed further.</p><p>"He doesn't want to be responsible for whether someone lives or dies - he wants other people to take the blame for that part. And every time he dithered on whether the Joker should have been eliminated like the scum that he was, he endangered more and more people for the sake of - of what, exactly? His morals? His pride?"</p><p>"His fears."</p><p>Jason paused at that. And with his - brother? hero? greatest fear? - ceding ground, Tim picked up the conversation.</p><p>"Bruce doesn't kill because he's afraid of what he would become. And why do you get to make the call on his morality?"</p><p>"Because his morality isn't for himself - the guy killed Darkseid when he was going to destroy the universe. Superman might have finished off the remains, but B was the one who made it possible. I'm sure you remember that one."</p><p>Tim clearly does. His current vigilante identity was born from the fallout of that very incident.</p><p>"Bruce isn't fine with just making rules for himself - he needs to enforce them on the world. He needs to know that the only violence in the world is that which he can control - or at least entertain the fantasy of controlling. He wants to not feel helpless again. And while it is an admirably strong backstory for a sad, lonely middle-aged superhero, it's not the appropriate code of conduct for someone who gets to decide how the world works."</p><p>"I get the feeling that's not all you have against him."</p><p>"Not nearly. After all, he killed me."</p><p>"You seem strangely calm about that."</p><p>Jason laughs. "Bruce never saw me as a living, breathing person in the first place."</p><p>"And you're going to let that go?"</p><p>"Yeah. There's no point trying to convince him. Hell, <em>you</em> don't see me as a real person, and you never knew me before/"</p><p>"You know that not true."</p><p>"Oh, you did go about taking photos of me at night, but you didn't have the faintest idea about who I was. You had a blank slate onto which you projected the hero you wanted, just like Bruce saw me as a blank slate to design a more useful version of Dick. And both of you were disappointed when you got faced with the lie that you came up with."</p><p>"No, I'd say I was disappointed by the fact that my childhood hero <em>tried to murder me</em>."</p><p>Jason pauses at that, and Tim pushes further.</p><p>"Do you have a convincing explanation for that?"</p><p>Jason took a deep breath.</p><p>"Do you?"</p><p>"No, I don't. It was wrong. I should never have gone after you. It's the only thing I regret doing. Ever."</p><p>"Oh, so you're fine with the severed heads in the duffel bag, the building of a criminal empire, and the general violence against everyone else?"</p><p>"Yes. The people who got their heads chopped deserved to die, and I merely used their heads to make a further statement. I built a criminal empire because it's the only industry that can pay its workers absurdly well and make enough margins for the investors to stay in it long term. And the general violence was only directed towards people who deserved it - except you."</p><p>"And why am I the exception?"</p><p>"You were a kid."</p><p>Tim's expression remains blank, asking for an explanation.</p><p>"You were a kid, wearing a costume that made you believe that you could have magic. And I was an angry young man who thought he could find peace by taking from you what I believed I should have had."</p><p>"And what was that?"</p><p>"Acceptance."</p><p>"You fucking <em>asshole</em>, people mourned you. Bruce nearly killed himself when you died. The Team nearly tore itself apart."</p><p>"And when I was alive, all of them kept reminding me how I was never going to be as good as Dick was."</p><p>"You were Bruce's son."</p><p>"Until I wasn't. He never wanted me, he just wanted someone to replace Dick. And when you came around, he found the perfect kid, one he didn't feel ashamed of."</p><p>"How the <em>fuck</em> did you end up believing that bullshit? Bruce would never say that-"</p><p>"He disowned me, and told Alfred that I was doomed to be like my father. And he meant Willis. You expect me to believe that he changed his mind when I died? Especially when he conveniently represented me so that he could engage in even more self-flagellation instead of reckoning with what truly caused our relationship to break down? He accused me of murder with no evidence, decided to dish out his own brand of punishment because the justice system wouldn't, and he's the one who gets to complain about me overstepping my boundaries? Really?"</p><p>"Look, I know he's flawed, but-"</p><p>"Everyone deserves a second chance, eh? Even the people who have no incentive or desire to change?"</p><p>Yeah, the parallel is clearly too blunt for Tim to argue against.</p><p>"By that logic, you don't deserve to be forgiven for what you did either."</p><p>"No, I don't."</p><p>Jason knows that what he did was unforgivable. He lives with that haunting realization every day.</p><p>"I don't deserve to be forgiven, because I decided to hurt you, an innocent kid who just wanted to do the right thing. And no matter how much I disagree with your perception of the right thing, and how much I hate the fact that you seemed to get easy acceptance for free while all I got was cold shoulders and belittlement from everyone I had ever known, but that doesn't excuse me coming after you."</p><p>"But I do forgive you for it."</p><p>"Do you?"</p><p>Tim grimaced.</p><p>"Yeah, I thought so."</p><p>"But I have accepted you."</p><p>"No, you've accepted what I did in the worst possible way. And you're trying to see if I can conform to the idea of Robin you had once."</p><p>"I keep forgetting that you're Cass' brother now."</p><p>"I was always her brother, and I could always read people. I just... I learned to not look. That's why I died in the first place."</p><p>"You died because you tried to fight the Joker."</p><p>"No, I died because my mother betrayed me and sold me out to the Joker, to save her skin."</p><p>Tim looks shocked.</p><p>"You know, I knew something was wrong going in. The same way I knew something was wrong when I was talking to Shiva back when we were looking into the three possible candidates for my birth mother. But I ignored it because I wanted to believe that there was someone in the world who wanted me. Turns out, I should have listened to my instincts and fled."</p><p>"I'm guessing Bruce told everyone a different story, eh?"</p><p>"He... he told everyone that you died because you wanted to prove to him that you were good enough as Robin when you weren't. That you went into a dangerous encounter half-cocked because he didn't train you, and he failed to get to you in time."</p><p>"And he also blamed me for a crime I didn't commit and refused to investigate his suspicions. Guess he did the same thing here."</p><p>"Why didn't you say anything?"</p><p>"Would it matter?"</p><p>Tim doesn't reply.</p><p>
  <em>He's just like Bruce, trying to dodge the hard questions with strategic silence.</em>
</p><p>"You know... after the Jokers died when we went back after interrogating you guys, we found Cass at the manor, watching a movie with a tub of ice-cream."</p><p>Jason cocks his head to the side, in an indication for Tim to proceed.</p><p>"She hadn't come back to the manor since you left."</p><p>Jason is, to put it mildly, completely fucking floored. <em>Cass left Bruce?</em></p><p>"She seemed... oddly happy. She knew the Jokers were dead, but she... she didn't seem sad like she usually does when someone dies on a mission."</p><p>Jason stops himself from remarking about Tim's absurdly slow pacing. It's a significant effort, and he makes a mental note to congratulate himself later. All of his therapists have told him that he needs to learn to acknowledge and celebrate his victories and achievements.</p><p>"When she saw us, she told us that she was celebrating. Celebrating that... she was free. That <em>you</em> were free."</p><p>Jason purses his lips together but decides to let his surprise and happiness seep through to his face. He's not going to be ashamed of showing how he feels.</p><p>"Cass was happy... about someone dying."</p><p>"No, she was happy that she felt safe. Stop trying to twist her words."</p><p>"Unlike you, Jason, Cass is very particular about not harming other people."</p><p>"And yet, she can't prevent the very human impulse of being happy that her life is not under attack from her mother who wants to engage her in a duel to the death. Wow, what a shocker."</p><p>"Cass has never felt happy about killing people."</p><p>"And she didn't kill anyone here, so I'm not sure what your problem is."</p><p>"She didn't sound like she was opposed to it."</p><p>"If you're worried about Cass going on a murderous rampage, perish the thought. She's too kind for that. She's a better person than the rest of us could ever hope to be."</p><p>"Then why-"</p><p>"Is she happy about the deaths of people who had hurt her and the people she loved? That's the burning question on your mind now?"</p><p>"But how can she be comfortable with that?"</p><p>"Because unlike Bruce and the rest of you, she can understand that her rules are her own. She's not egotistical enough to want to impose her view of life on other people. She can recognize that some people will always feel threatened when the people who have hurt them roam free, fully capable of repeating what they did before. I'm pretty sure she knows that feeling intimately."</p><p>A silence descends on the pair again, as they both turn away from each other.</p><p>Tim is the one to break it.</p><p>"I don't think I can ever forgive you."</p><p>"I don't think you should. What I did... I should never have even thought of it."</p><p>"But I still want to be able to have you around. You're my brother. I love you."</p><p>"I love you too, Timbit."</p><p>"I don't want to hate you."</p><p>"You can do whatever you want, Timmy. Your emotions are your own, nobody should be able to tell you what to feel."</p><p>"I feel... let down. Betrayed. You were my hero. And you... you came after me for trying to do what you did."</p><p>"I did. And I'll never be able to make up for it. But with your permission, I can try... to be good to you now."</p><p>"...I want to be able to put the past behind."</p><p>"And telling yourself lies about what I was, and what made me do the horrible things I did, isn't the way forward. I didn't hurt you because I was under mind control, I didn't hurt you because I was being blackmailed or manipulated, I hurt you because I wanted to make you pay for taking what I felt should have been mine."</p><p>"You're not making a good case for yourself here."</p><p>"I won't hurt you now because I have accepted that you had a right to be Robin. That I was wrong to try and strip you of something that you had been given by both Dick and Bruce, and after you had been accepted by the Team. I don't want to hurt you, because you're a great person and brother, and I love you."</p><p>"I... I don't know how to process that, Jason. I don't - I can't -"</p><p>"It's okay, Timbo. You do you, at your own pace."</p><p>"I don't think I can... ever square what I remember of you as Robin with the person you are now."</p><p>Jason sighs, and takes a step back.</p><p>"But I want to try."</p><p>Jason feels the smile tug at his lips, as he sees Tim lighten up.</p><p>"Would you join me for patrol, Ghost?"</p><p>Jason pushes a button, and his faceplate closes down.</p><p>"With pleasure, Red Robin."</p><p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was driven by my desire to write something that is sympathetic to Jason without simply brushing away what he did to Tim as 'Pit Madness'. I hope it doesn't brush aside the feelings of either side of the issue.</p><p>As always, please do tell me what you think - even if it is a string of swear words about how bad it is.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Valentine's Day. Steph and Cass meet up for a movie.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love this pairing. A lot. I think Steph and Cass complement each other as characters and are capable of being a force to be reckoned with together. Hence, we get this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steph looks at herself in the mirror, trying repeatedly to find the right number of curls for her hair as the clock ticks by.</p>
<p>"You're going to be late if you hold onto that curling iron any longer."</p>
<p>Yes, Babs is completely in the right and she has to leave five minutes ago, but she can't just leave looking like that!</p>
<p>Steph hates how self-conscious she is being now. She hadn't put this much effort into her dates before, but...</p>
<p>She hadn't wanted a date to go right as much as she does now.</p>
<p>She sighs, putting down the iron and pulling open the lipstick drawer.</p>
<p>"No. I'm not going to watch you try to fuss over that. Let me-"</p>
<p>"Babs, I'm fine, it-"</p>
<p>"-Would be a disastrous choice to let you confuddle yourself for a second more, so just pick the purple one to match your nail polish and heels and get going. <em>Now</em>."</p>
<p>"Hey, first of all, it's <em>eggplant</em>-"</p>
<p>"Wow, what a compelling argument that refutes nothing I just said-"</p>
<p>"-And second, I'm not even sure if I want to keep my nails that colour."</p>
<p>Babs slams her forehead at that declaration, and Steph winces.</p>
<p>"Hope you didn't hurt yourself with that stunt there."</p>
<p>"It's nowhere near as much as I'm going to hurt you if you make Cass miss even a second of the movie. So <em>move</em>."</p>
<p>"Wow, so protective. It's almost like you're the scary mom here."</p>
<p>"And if I am, consider this the part where I threaten you with grievous bodily and reputational harm if you think about hurting her in any way. Which includes causing her to miss a second of the movie."</p>
<p>"It's-"</p>
<p>"Something we can just get a Blu-ray of, I know. Hell, Bruce could probably buy a distribution copy and screen it in the manor. The point is to go to a cinema and see it with an audience, and Cass has been looking forward to this for a while now. So I'm not letting you ruin this for her."</p>
<p>"Wow, really feeling the love there, Oracle."</p>
<p>"Well, I guess this means I don't need to tell you exactly how I will ruin you and the seventeen generations that will come after if you hurt Cass in any way."</p>
<p>"I don't know whether to laugh or cry about that."</p>
<p>"You need to <em>go</em>. <em>Now</em>."</p>
<p>"Fine. At least let me see once again if I can fix this curl - hey, hey, put the sparkystick down, <em>Babs</em>, <em><strong>NO</strong></em>!"</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>Steph gasps, as she takes in Cass' dress while the newly rechristened vigilante approaches her in the most stunning black-and-white dress she has ever seen.</p>
<p>Well, it should have been expected, given that Cass is the Wayne daughter and all, but <em>still</em>.</p>
<p>"Hello." Cass' voice sounded so <em>shy</em>.</p>
<p>Steph can swear that her heart skipped a literal beat.</p>
<p>"How do I look?"</p>
<p>"Better than everyone else who deigned to show up."</p>
<p>Cass frowns. "Why would people... not come? They bought... tickets."</p>
<p>"Well, there were a bunch of seats given to VIPs and the people that they said would come with them. And since those guys get tickets for free, they don't seem to give it any importance."</p>
<p>"That's not nice."</p>
<p>"Yep, it isn't. But hey, that probably means we get to lie down and put our legs over multiple seats."</p>
<p>Cass' smile is brighter than the goddamn sun. (Yeah, Steph knows all the jokes about how you can't see the sun in Gotham, she doesn't need you ruining her superlatives showing how <em>beautiful</em> Cass is.)</p>
<p>"We have about-" Steph checks her watch "-five minutes before the movie starts, and the line seems like it's gone. You mind if we don't get popcorn now?"</p>
<p>"Don't worry. I can... handle."</p>
<p>Okay... Steph isn't sure exactly what Cass means with that statement, but she can roll with it.</p>
<p>"Cool. Let's go, Babs told me that she would destroy me if I made you miss a second."</p>
<p>Cass smiles mischievously.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I know you'd enjoy watching that, but I like my life as it is now, unruined. And I'd like to keep it that way."</p>
<p>Cass shook her head and turned back around to head into the theatre.</p>
<p>Steph stifled a laugh as she followed her.</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>"Look, Osgood -- I'm going to level with you. We can't get married at all."</p>
<p>Cass laughs, and her voice is brighter than Steph has heard in a <em>long</em> time.</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>Steph leans in, like everyone else in the theatre.</p>
<p>"Well, to begin with, I'm not a natural blonde."</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm not sure that's the biggest lie there, but sure, keep going.</em>
</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter."</p>
<p>Cass snorts, along with half the audience.</p>
<p>"And I smoke. I smoke all the time."</p>
<p><em>Are you even trying?</em> Steph can't help but scoff.</p>
<p>"I don't care."</p>
<p>Cass nods, completely entranced.</p>
<p>"And I have a terrible past. For three years now, I've been living with a saxophone player."</p>
<p>Cass shakes her head.</p>
<p>"I forgive you."</p>
<p>
  <em>You're damn right he does.</em>
</p>
<p>"And I can never have children."</p>
<p>
  <em>Adoption is a thing, you know.</em>
</p>
<p>"We'll adopt some."</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank you! He gets it.</em>
</p>
<p>"But you don't understand!" Jerry rips off his wig. "I'm a man."</p>
<p>Cass' breath stills in anticipation of the punchline.</p>
<p>"Well, nobody's perfect."</p>
<p>The young Bat (or is she? Steph doesn't know anymore) chuckles along with the rest of the audience.</p>
<p>Steph watches their fingers intertwined on the armrest between the two of them, as the audience applauds and the end credits roll.</p>
<p>(As Valentines Day movies go, it's... one of the weirder ones.)</p>
<p>Well, at least it was funny.</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>
  <em>After they've closed the file on the Jokers and washed off the post-patrol grime, Steph is the second person to walk into the home theatre in the manor, right behind Duke.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cass is sitting right there, with a bucket of ice cream, watching a movie.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It's some silent film. There seems to be some trial going on, with a woman and some priests.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cass is... entranced. Steph could swear that there are tears in her eyes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She doesn't want to disturb her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Unfortunately for them, Bruce doesn't give them a choice.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Cassandra. There is some news I believe you should know."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Clowns are dead." Cass' reply is cold, and her tone is something Steph hasn't heard before.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"How did you-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Saw the news."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It wasn't supposed to leak."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cass shrugged, and turned back to the screen.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You don't want to know who did it?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Don't care. Know it was... not you. And Little Brother... needs peace."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"That is not the way-"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"When he killed Shiva, I felt it."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bruce looks like he's been pole-axed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The bitter side of Steph can't help but relish it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If Cass feels better now that the one person threatening her life is dead, Steph is going to be happy for her. And fuck everyone else who thinks otherwise.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"If Little Brother can sleep better now, you should be happy."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The accusation is clear.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Are you?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"This is not about him."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"They were killed by his mother. It is about him."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"This is about you supporting murder."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I would not have killed him. It is not my way. But... you cannot tell me what to feel."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I am disappointed in you, Cassandra. You've always said that killing is bad. Your morals have always been strong, even more than mine."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Well, nobody's perfect."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A tense silence descends on them, the open question hanging precariously in the air.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bruce, as always, chooses that moment to turn away and leave.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steph can see Cass try to keep a straight face through it, but the tremble in her lower lip speaks volumes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She can't let her be alone now.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Mind if I join you, Cass?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cass looks at her, her expressions cycling through surprise, then relief, shame, and finally a resigned form of sadness that does not belong on her face.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I think we both need a night of unlimited ice-cream and sappy movies."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cass shakes her head. "Not sappy."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Eh, that's not the important part anyway. I'll overlook it."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It's a deflection, to not show vulnerability and acknowledge the mass of feelings in the air.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cass takes it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Chocolate only."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Just this once, I'll let you have this."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She joins the beloved (or, as of right now, not so beloved) Wayne daughter on the extra comfortable couch, picks up one of the extra spoons on the tray that Alfred insisted they always have, and lets Cass lean into her side.</em>
</p>
<p><em>And, for the first time in a while, she thinks,</em> we're going to be okay<em>.</em></p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>They're sitting at a table in the restaurant of the hotel which had held the screening.</p>
<p>They're surrounded by the quiet noise of hushed conversations, as everyone tries to maintain some form of decorum.</p>
<p>It's quieter than the movie hall, which had been somewhat... talkative, given that the audience was composed mostly of rich people who 'appreciated classic cinema'.</p>
<p>Steph would like to call bullshit on that. Most of these people had come prepared to chat away on their phones, but had been entranced by a really good film.</p>
<p>The young vigilante turns to her predecessor.</p>
<p>"I thought you preferred silent movies."</p>
<p>"It's Valentines' Day. And Jason said... the person who made this, writes beautiful words."</p>
<p>It's funny... Jason's been pretty much gone for years now, and his shadow weighs over all of them more than ever before.</p>
<p>They both lapse into an uncomfortable silence.</p>
<p>Steph clears her throat.</p>
<p>"Back when... the Jokers died, you indicated you were happy for him."</p>
<p>"Yes. I am. Happy for him."</p>
<p>"I thought you hated killing."</p>
<p>"I said before... he will feel safe. Like I do."</p>
<p>Steph knows better than to argue with that sentiment... If a clown could take all of them hostage whenever the mood struck him, none of them could promise safety against the best assassin in the world.</p>
<p>She puts her head in her hands and groans.</p>
<p>"How did it get like this?"</p>
<p>"I... do not know."</p>
<p>"You think Bruce can get better?"</p>
<p>"I do not know."</p>
<p>"You can read people."</p>
<p>"I know... he loves. Loves a lot, more than people think. But... he hides. Hides it inside, and acts to hurt instead."</p>
<p>Steph grimaces. She's seen it happen one too many times.</p>
<p>"If he cannot show love right... it is the same as not loving at all."</p>
<p>Cass pauses and shakes her head.</p>
<p>"For Little Brother, it was worse. He could see... that Bruce cared. He wanted him to show it. Prove it, with action. Because feelings kept inside... do not help."</p>
<p>"And he never did."</p>
<p>Cass nods sadly.</p>
<p>Steph shifts a bit closer to Cass, leaning into the latter's right and letting their elbows touch as they sit next to each other on a table meant for six.</p>
<p>(Being accompanied by the ever-charming Wayne daughter has its advantages, one of them being easy access to whatever table you want.)</p>
<p>A server comes up to them, carrying four plates of the largest waffles Steph has seen, and that is including the diner on the edge of the Bowery, right next to Park Row.</p>
<p>Seriously, they did <em>not</em> skimp out on the number or size of the toppings. There's more chocolate here on each waffle than Dick could consume in a week.</p>
<p>The plates are set out on the table before them, and the server smiles and leaves.</p>
<p>Before Cass can dig in, Steph grips her right hand.</p>
<p>The two of them face each other, and Steph feels a twinge of hesitation in the back of her head, but she pushes it down.</p>
<p>
  <em>Feelings kept inside do not help.</em>
</p>
<p>"Cass, I... love you."</p>
<p>Cass looks... shocked.</p>
<p>"Romantically, I mean."</p>
<p>That doesn't help.</p>
<p>"It's okay if you don't feel the same way. But... I wanted to tell you. I don't want to hide it inside me."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"What do you mean, why? You're the best person I know, and that's even before I get to how beautiful you are. Speaking of which, has anyone ever told you that? That you're gorgeous? Because if not, I'm up for doing that for the rest of time. Irrespective of your answer right now. After all-"</p>
<p>"Steph."</p>
<p>"Right, I'm rambling. Sorry. It's just... I just confessed to the person I love the most, and admire the most, you gotta understand that I'm a bit intimidated by the challenge, after all-"</p>
<p>"How can you love me?"</p>
<p>"Cass, you're the best person I know. You might even be the best person in the world. Objectively speaking. Even Superman doesn't come close."</p>
<p>"But... I left. I hurt you. Hurt Barbara. Hurt... everyone."</p>
<p>Steph smiles. "Well, nobody's perfect."</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, the reason this took so long to write was the incessant dithering on which movie I wanted to use for this. I was initially going to go with a silent movie since it would be the obvious choice with Cass, but I wasn't able to find one that conveyed what I wanted to with the confession scene.</p>
<p>Then I remembered this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHQuR885yMQ">video essay on Billy Wilder's movies</a> by a channel called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mythicalsage">Just Write</a>, which talked about Osgood's line of "nobody's perfect" at the end of <em>Some Like It Hot</em> being a declaration of unconditional love. And it felt appropriate for a Valentines' Day chapter.</p>
<p>Also, the silent movie that I had settled on using was <em>The Passion of Joan of Arc</em>, and it's the movie referenced in the flashback scene.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The road to reconciliation is long and hard, and we might not get there in the end</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dick is watching a movie with Cass and Steph when a surprise wild Bruce appears.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I didn't want to go down a black-and-white route for Bruce's character - it felt too reductive and strawmanny for my taste. Hence, this chapter.</p>
<p>Also, I wanted to showcase how Dick is taking all this - and how his relationship with Bruce is different from the rest.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dick lounges on the couch before the modestly-sized 88-inch TV in Cass' living room.</p>
<p>(Being a Wayne did come with a lot of benefits. Dick was getting used to being comfortable with taking advantage of them.)</p>
<p>Cass is on the loveseat to his right with Steph, huddled around an absurdly large tub of ice cream.</p>
<p>Dick should probably stop them from eating all of it, but with his reputation for promptly inhaling sugary foods in obscene quantities, he's somewhat unsure about how his warnings would be received.</p>
<p>They would probably just scoff at him, stick out their tongues and continue eating anyway.</p>
<p>Still, he needs to be the responsible one here.</p>
<p>"You know, you should probably lay off on the sugar there."</p>
<p>Steph, as predicted, responds with a sharply raised eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be talking, but still-"</p>
<p>Cass pulled out a big scoop and pops it into her mouth.</p>
<p>"Look-"</p>
<p>Steph copies her girlfriend, pulling out another spoon that is promptly inhaled.</p>
<p>"I hate you."</p>
<p>"No you don't." Steph replies brightly.</p>
<p>Dick grumbles to himself but settles back into watching the movie.</p>
<p>They're watching an old Buster Keaton film, courtesy of Cass' love for silent cinema and Dick's affinity towards movies with good stuntwork.</p>
<p>Dick's seen clips of some of this before - the scene with the guy clearing the track as the train keeps barreling down. He's never gotten the time to watch the entire thing.</p>
<p>It's a relatively peaceful time now - the Joker's dead, and Gotham's quite a bit calmer. Most of the villains are afraid now since the Joker's dead and Batman hasn't imprisoned anybody for it.</p>
<p>Dick can't bring himself to agree with Cass' point of view on the Joker's death being a good thing - he knows that the clown represented their hope that even the worst of people could be redeemed. With him dead, and Batman being unable to reassert his authority, it makes their hold on Gotham a lot more fragile. Criminals aren't that afraid of them any longer.</p>
<p>That said, they are afraid of whoever it was that actually took the Joker out, so... Dick's going to take the reduced stress and roll with it.</p>
<p>Especially if it means more time with Cass, which comes at a pretty hefty premium these days.</p>
<p>Dick picks away at the bucket of popcorn on his left, grabbing a couple of caramel-coated treats and letting the flavour spread across his tongue before chewing them down and picking out a few more to take their place.</p>
<p>It's a perfect side dish for the kind of movie they're watching here.</p>
<p>Cass and Steph keep going deeper and deeper into the tub. At this rate, they'll be done with the entirety of it pretty soon.</p>
<p>That was a 3-gallon tub, from the looks of it... this is getting out of hand.</p>
<p>"That is really unhealthy, even for me."</p>
<p>"Shut up, Dick - we burn off enough calories at night, and this is a low-sugar variety anyway."</p>
<p>"I don't think that counts."</p>
<p>"Cass runs, like, 20 miles each morning no matter what. She's going to be fine. And I, for one, am glad that I'm not swallowing a cup of instant ramen due to a time and budget crunch."</p>
<p>"Steph, you do know that-"</p>
<p>"I can use Bruce's Amex, yes, Jason gave me his add-on card way back when so that I could buy stuff with it whenever I was pissed at the big man, but I have <em>Standards</em>."</p>
<p>Dick freezes up at the mention of Jason.</p>
<p>
  <em>We've been avoiding the subject for a while, someone was bound to slip up at some point.</em>
</p>
<p>"I-"</p>
<p>"It's fine. Sorry. Let's just watch the movie."</p>
<p>"Steph, I don't want you to feel pressured into not telling us anything because it's not your place-"</p>
<p>"Dick, I'm Batgirl. I know what my role is. I don't have anything to say here."</p>
<p>"You don't? After all that's happened?"</p>
<p>"Nothing that you don't already know."</p>
<p>Dick doesn't know how to reply to that.</p>
<p>"Look, Dick, I know that it doesn't feel right, what's happening right now. But we're better off than before. <em>Cass</em> is better off than before, and the rest of us haven't lost a thing. We can't just go about grumbling over every little thing that doesn't go exactly how we want it to."</p>
<p>"She <em>killed</em> them!"</p>
<p>"Yeah, and I'm not losing sleep over someone deciding that the Joker needed to die and doing it herself. Yeah, it's not our job, but I'll freely admit that it had to be <em>someone's</em> duty to do the deed."</p>
<p>"It's the law-"</p>
<p>"The law that makes sure that Black Mask roams free? We can't keep a sadistic, misogynistic drug dealer in jail, you still holding out on the hope that the Joker will turn good one day?"</p>
<p>"He could have. We don't know."</p>
<p>"That's exactly the point - we don't know. We don't know if that would have been the last time he went after someone before he had a change of heart and became an upstanding citizen, or if it was the last time we were successful in foiling his plans. And I can't bring myself to not be relieved that he can't hurt anyone again."</p>
<p>"Then what do we do? Hang up our uniforms and let the most brutally determined people take the city?"</p>
<p>"No, some of us learn the concept of nuance and join the rest in doing our jobs."</p>
<p>Dick is about to try and rebut that, but there's a knock on the door.</p>
<p>Cass stiffens, and Steph picks up a knife that was lying on the small decorative table before them.</p>
<p>
  <em>I should probably have kept track of all the weapons in the room. Oh well.</em>
</p>
<p>Cass takes position behind a wall near the door, and Steph walks up to the peephole. Dick finds himself frozen.</p>
<p>The young Batgirl opens the door, and Dick lets out a shocked gasp.</p>
<p>"Bruce?"</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>Bruce winces as all three blurt out his name, in a medley of three different tones.</p>
<p>Dick sounds surprised, slightly overwhelmed. (He suppresses the chuckle that threatens to come out when he thinks of his eldest replying with <em>no B, I'm perfectly whelmed right now</em>.)</p>
<p>Stephanie sounds cautious and reserved, with more than a hint of suspicion in her tone. He knows he probably deserves that, after the argument he had with his daughter a few months ago.</p>
<p>And Cassandra... sounds angry. That... does seem fair. He did bungle things with her after Alfred managed to convince her to stay back with them to recover after the Three Jokers incident.</p>
<p>Well, he has a chance now.</p>
<p>"Cassandra, Dick, Stephanie... It's nice to see you. May I come in?"</p>
<p>In the second major surprise of the day, Cassandra is the one to reply. "Why?"</p>
<p>"I missed your birthday. I had something I wanted to give you."</p>
<p>"There is a box outside the door for deliveries."</p>
<p>"There's a gift from Alfred too... I hope you will not condemn that as well."</p>
<p>"Unfair."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry... I just want to talk to my children."</p>
<p>"I don't want to talk to you."</p>
<p>Cassandra looks around the room, looking for further opinions on the matter.</p>
<p>Steph pipes in immediately. "I don't have a thing to say to you either, Boss-man. I'm just here for Cass."</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank you for the encouragement, Stephanie.</em>
</p>
<p>"...I would like to talk."</p>
<p>They all turn to Dick.</p>
<p>"That is, if it's fine with you, Cass."</p>
<p>Cassandra' expression is unreadable. Bruce finds himself wishing yet again for her ability to see exactly what people feel. It would be so useful, to know what the right words are to make people see his side.</p>
<p>She nods sharply and turns to go towards what seems to be a bedroom door.</p>
<p>Bruce knows he should probably know more about the place his daughter has chosen to take up residence in, but... breaking in isn't really an option. He can't afford more mistakes, and Cassandra isn't likely to be generous and accommodating towards him and his goals these days.</p>
<p>Steph throws a disturbingly venomous look at both Dick and Bruce as she leaves behind her predecessor, as they pick up the tub of ice cream and turn off the TV.</p>
<p>"What were you watching?"</p>
<p>"Buster Keaton."</p>
<p>"Ah... I remember you wanted to watch <em>The General</em> back when you were just starting out as Nightwing. I don't think you ever told me why."</p>
<p>"Wally showed me a couple of clips way back in the day. What can I say, I love well-done stuntwork."</p>
<p>"Even after <em>Safety Last</em>?"</p>
<p>Dick shuddered. "Don't remind me. But yeah, even after that. Watching the bonus features helped a lot."</p>
<p>They lapse into a silence that is somehow both comfortable and tense.</p>
<p>"Bruce. What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>"I want to fix things."</p>
<p>"And what does fixing things mean?"</p>
<p>"Whatever it takes. We're a family. We need to stay together."</p>
<p>"Bruce... we can't just go back to how things were."</p>
<p>"We can. We can get past this. I'm willing to do whatever you ask of me."</p>
<p>"Bruce, you can't just win us over with a grand gesture. I know you're a good man, but even I have doubts about you doing the right thing most of the time. We can't just pretend that everything's fine."</p>
<p>"But it can be fine. With time."</p>
<p>"Not time, Bruce. Effort. Time won't change the things that have happened. We lost Jason because of you, and no matter how much time passes, that's always going to influence how we see you. Especially knowing what you did to him."</p>
<p>"I promise you, I never wanted to hurt him-"</p>
<p>"But you <em>did</em>, Bruce. And now, he's gone, even though he's alive."</p>
<p>Bruce grimaced at the thought. It hurts, even after all this time, to think about his second son cutting off ties.</p>
<p>"Look... I'm still angry at you. And I don't think I can just look past your flaws now. You can't just keep doing shitty things and then feel bad and pretend that makes it okay. You need to be better."</p>
<p>"I will be better, Dick. I just need another chance."</p>
<p>"You'll always have it from me, Bruce. For better or for worse, I'll always forgive you."</p>
<p>Bruce shakes his head, wanting his son to stop going down that road, but Dick just raises a finger.</p>
<p>"I don't want to hear a thing from you on that. You don't get to tell me what to feel. And I'll always feel indebted to you. You took me in and prevented me from being consumed by revenge. I owe you everything. But you're not my father - not in the same way that you are for Tim and Cass and Damian, and definitely not the way you were for Jason."</p>
<p>It's probably thanks to the distraught expression on Bruce's face that Dick softens.</p>
<p>"You... don't need to try and be a good Dad to me. You're my mentor, and I am past the point of relying on you for support. But the others... they needed you. Jason - he didn't have <em>anyone</em> when he was Robin, and it got him killed. The rest of us might have escaped death for a while, but the threat's still there. Hell, Cass could have died back when Shiva decided to pop back up because she was isolating herself from us."</p>
<p>"I would never have allowed that-"</p>
<p>"Bruce, you need to accept that you <em>allowing</em> something has little to no relevance on whether one of us lives or dies. You can't protect us. Not anymore. All you can do is hope to help us, and if we don't trust you, we won't ask you for help even when you are the best person to give it."</p>
<p>"Tell me what to do, then. Tell me what I can do to get your trust back."</p>
<p>"It's not a guarantee, Bruce. There's no magic formula, no 'let's do <em>X</em> and <em>Y</em> and <em>Z</em> and everyone will believe in me again'. The best you can do is be trustworthy, and hope we can look past what has happened and believe you again."</p>
<p>"I... I don't want to lose you."</p>
<p>"Thing is, Bruce, you already have. The question now is, can you get us back?"</p>
<p>"What about you? Will you come back?"</p>
<p>"No. As much as I want to trust you again, Bruce, I can't. I can't afford to set a bad example here. The stakes are too high."</p>
<p>They lapse into an uneasy silence, as Bruce wonders how things got this bad.</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>Cass is <em>angry</em>.</p>
<p>"He should not be here."</p>
<p>"Yeah, he shouldn't, but he is."</p>
<p>"I should have told him to leave."</p>
<p>"Look, if Dick wants to try and rebuild their relationship, let him. You're your own person, it doesn't have to mean anything to you."</p>
<p>"He betrayed us."</p>
<p>"That's a bit much-"</p>
<p>"He <em>killed</em> his son. Our brother. To save a criminal who hurts other people."</p>
<p>"And it doesn't have to mean that everything he told you, felt for you, did for you was a lie."</p>
<p>"I know what he feels."</p>
<p>Steph stops at that, and Cass continues.</p>
<p>"He feels love, I know. Love, compassion, generosity, kindness, he has all of it inside him. But also cruelty, callousness, stubbornness, blindness, apathy, selfishness, greed."</p>
<p>"That's a lot more negatives than positives, but keep going."</p>
<p>"I understand that Batman... needs to be cold. Dark. Scary. But... he can show us love. He <em>should</em> show us love. But all he shows... is pain and anger and disappointment."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but that's just how he is."</p>
<p>"He should be better. He <em>has</em> to be better. Little Brother... he can see through Bruce. He always has. He knows... Dad loves him. But he still left."</p>
<p>"Yeah, because Bruce was hurting him."</p>
<p>"If all his love can give me is pain, I don't want it."</p>
<p>Steph seemingly thinks about it for a moment, before replying. "Sometimes, Cass, you are amazingly eloquent."</p>
<p>Cass smiles. "I try."</p>
<p>"I'm sure you do. You know... I thought I was crazy for thinking Bruce was a bit too rough on us, but it feels nice to hear it from someone else."</p>
<p>Cass feels a tinge of guilt in her heart as she processes what Steph said.</p>
<p>"Cass?"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry." She can't help but blurt it out, she needs to say it.</p>
<p>"For what?"</p>
<p>"For not being there when you needed me. I should have... known what Bruce was like. What he did to you."</p>
<p>"But - you know what, we're probably going to go in a circle on this one, so let's go with 'I forgive you'."</p>
<p>"You can't just forgive me like that!"</p>
<p>"See? I knew you would go down that route. And that's what Bruce would say - he would ask me for forgiveness, but he doesn't actually want it. He wants to control his guilt burden on his own terms. It's like he's managing a fucking hedge fund where he buys or sells guilt depending on how much of it he wants to have."</p>
<p>"I don't understand."</p>
<p>"Look... Bruce knows people can't hold him accountable for the things he's done. No matter what he does, he's not going to be punished for his mistakes. So he punishes himself, but that's not a real thing, Cass. You can't punish yourself, because you'll design the punishment on your own terms. And then, it's no longer punishment, but just hurting oneself to feel better."</p>
<p>Cass shudders, thinking about what she had planned to tell Steph.</p>
<p>"Yeah, you weren't there when I died, but that's not on you. And that's for me to decide. You keep taking on guilt like Bruce does, and you'll forget the difference between right and wrong."</p>
<p>Cass is still coming to terms with this as Steph pulls her in for a hug.</p>
<p>"Yeah, Bruce did wrong by Jason. And he can probably never atone for that. You'll probably never trust him like you did again. But... that doesn't mean that he can't be your Dad again."</p>
<p>"I... I don't want to make the same mistakes again."</p>
<p>"You won't. We're smarter now. And if he ever tries to make you feel alone, or small, or unwanted, or unworthy, or any of the things he normally does, I'm going to punch him in the face. Repeatedly."</p>
<p>Cass laughs, melting further into the hug.</p>
<p>She can hear the smile in Steph's voice, even though she can't see it.</p>
<p>"Remember, Cass, nobody's perfect."</p>
<p>Cass smiles again, despite the sadness clenching at her heart.</p>
<p>"Yes... nobody's perfect.</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
<p>Steph walks back into the living room, where Dick and Bruce are sitting... a few feet apart.</p>
<p>She can taste the tension in the air, like static building up before a storm.</p>
<p>"Okay, you boys done talking? Or did you skip past that and go back to pretending that there are no issues here that need addressing?"</p>
<p>Dick laughs weakly. "Yeah, I don't think that's an option."</p>
<p>
  <em>Good, I don't think it should be either.</em>
</p>
<p>Bruce, at least, looks chastened, so she'll take the win.</p>
<p>"Bruce. Before you talk to Cass, here's something you need to keep in mind. And this time, you need to <em>listen</em>."</p>
<p>Looking at Bruce's face nodding in vigorous earnest, she felt a bit hopeful about what was to come.</p>
<p>"Cass... she's in a difficult place right now. She relied on her ability to read people a lot when it came to building her relationships, and your behaviour has destroyed her confidence in knowing what people are like in the first place. On some level, she knows that you're supposed to be an exception rather than the rule when it comes to human behaviour, but she's not going to trust people easily anytime soon."</p>
<p>Bruce nods again, and it looks like he understands. Steph hopes that she's not being taken for a ride here.</p>
<p>"Be careful with what you say and what you ask for. The moment I feel you're trying to reel her in, I'm kicking you out and making sure you never see her again. I'm sure I can get Babs to help me."</p>
<p>Bruce nods, fear lining his face.</p>
<p>
  <em>Good. At least that'll keep him in check.</em>
</p>
<p>She turns to the door of Cass' bedroom.</p>
<p>"Cass? You coming?"</p>
<p>Her girlfriend emerges from the door, and she steps back to join hands with her.</p>
<p>She gives a slight squeeze, in a silent show of support that does not go unnoticed.</p>
<p>"Bruce." Cass' voice is cold, and Bruce, to his credit, doesn't jump.</p>
<p>It's got her signature chilling tone, the one that she uses in uniform to scare the shit out of criminals before she lands a single hit.</p>
<p>"Cassandra... I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"For what?"</p>
<p>"For... for hurting you."</p>
<p>"You did nothing to me."</p>
<p>"I betrayed your trust in me."</p>
<p>"How?"</p>
<p>
  <em>Wow, she's actually making him say it.</em>
</p>
<p>Bruce looks like he's swallowing rocks.</p>
<p>"I hurt Jason... and hid it from all of you."</p>
<p>"And why does that matter?"</p>
<p>"Because he is my son. I shouldn't have thrown the Batarang. I shouldn't have gone after him for shooting the Penguin."</p>
<p>"First - he <em>was</em> your son." <em>Wow, she's not pulling her punches, is she?</em> "Second - why should I trust you?"</p>
<p>"I... I know that I haven't been very trustworthy. And I don't have good reasons to give you to believe in me again. But I promise I'm going to try and be a better father to you than I was to Jason."</p>
<p>Bruce pauses, waiting for a reply from Cass.</p>
<p>Steph can see the longing on her face, mixed with fear.</p>
<p>She wholeheartedly hates it, and doesn't want to see it on Cass' face again.</p>
<p>
  <em>She shouldn't feel like this about her own dad.</em>
</p>
<p>"No." It's pretty much Orphan speaking now, teeth gritted and face blanked out.</p>
<p>Bruce looks devastated, and Steph feels a bit of pity for the man but shakes her head to try and push the feeling out. <em>Remember what he's done. He doesn't deserve your sympathy.</em></p>
<p>"You haven't done anything to deserve trust or forgiveness."</p>
<p>"I... understand."</p>
<p>"No, you don't. You haven't done it." Cass' expression softens. "Not yet. But you can."</p>
<p>And in that moment, Bruce looks happier than he has in a long time.</p>
<p>"I can't promise I will ever trust you again. I can't promise we can be a family again. But... I would like it if we could."</p>
<p>Bruce nods. "Okay... okay."</p>
<p>"Goodbye, Bruce."</p>
<p>As far as Steph is concerned, it's a kinder goodbye than the ageing man deserves, but... well, Cass does deserve to have a dad again.</p>
<p>As the tired form of Bruce Wayne leaves their flat, and Dick Grayson relaxes back into the couch he's on, Steph walks up to the couch and picks up the remote.</p>
<p>"Wanna go back to the movie?"</p>
<p>Cass and Dick both smile. "Yes."</p>
<p class="endpara">---------------------------------</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not sure if Bruce will have a redemption arc in this story - I'm leaning towards no, and I definitely can't see myself writing him reconciling with Jason. But I don't want to write him as a 2D bad guy - I feel it doesn't acknowledge the fact that he's in this position because of his <em>choices</em>, not because of inherent character flaws.</p>
<p>Again, please do provide any feedback you have! Even if it's just your displeasure with my choices here, I would be glad to hear it.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wanted to have a part of this series centre around conversations - to have characters actually talk and not simply cheat with showing an internal monologue. I hope this works out.</p><p>Also, this series takes place over the course of the year following the death of the Jokers.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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